The Shadows of Time
by Mythic Storm
Summary: After defeating his jerky older self, Danny is called to save the future again by Clockwork's nephew, the dark necromancer Shruikan. Meanwhile, Vlad tries to gain Wolfe as an ally, but ends up gaining an unwilling apprentice.
1. Back to the Future

(_Author's Note_: It's been a while since I posted a story in this category, and I've changed my screen name (used to be Dragonbringer). Anyways, I'd like to say a few things: one, I don't own Danny Phantom or any related characters, but I do own Raven, Shruikan (name borrowed from _Eragon_), Diana, Venemon, Tyrannique, Narcissa, etc. Second, this is going to be a BIG plot, so I suggest you watch the story as it gains chapters. Third, I no longer accept anonymous reviews due to a random problem person who likes to virtually spit on my stories. Other than that, please try to imagine my story as a Danny Phantom cartoon!)

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Title: _The Shadows of Time_

Summary: After defeating his jerky older self, Danny is called to save the future again by Clockwork's nephew, the dark necromancer Shruikan. However, he accidentally uncovers a shocking secret about Sam's future- and his own. Meanwhile, Vlad tries to gain Wolfe as an ally, but ends up gaining an unwilling apprentice. And what does Valerie have to do with all of this?

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_Chapter 1_: Back to the Future

**Amity Park: The Present**

It was a normal day in the town of Amity Park. There were no clouds, and there was a slight breeze playing on the wind. Aside from the usual noise of traffic, there were many kids laughing and playing in the green fields in and around the town. Some were flying kites, climbing trees, and playing soccer and football, while others were on the local playground. Meanwhile, Danny Fenton, Tucker Foley, and Sam Manson walking idly through the park, talking.

"So...you're saying Clockwork took you back in time, during the test, and your fight with your jerky older self actually happened before? Not to mention that Jazz actually uncovered his plot?" Tucker said to Danny, exasperated. Danny had just told them the long story of how his former future self, the evil, fully-ghost Danny Phantom, had trapped him and went to his time after Sam and Tucker returned to the past. "I still can't believe that that evil jerk told your secret to your parents _and_ Mr. Lancer!" Sam said in a sarcastic voice.

"Well, at least I got that cool new power. Besides, I'm looking forward to having a nice break from ghost hunting for a while." Danny replied proudly. But no sooner had he said that, blue mist escaped from his mouth. "Oh no. Here we go again..." Danny said miserably. Then, dark thunderclouds appeared out of nowhere, flashing lighting. The whole sky was soon covered by black, and the thunder was loud enough to burst one's eardrum. There was a flash of blinding lightning, and a giant, glowing golden blob with electrified tentacles appeared, obviously a ghost, roaring viciously. It was at least as tall as a four-story building, had no neck, and a slit for a mouth. The people near the monster screamed and ran in all different directions as the beast began to stomp through the outskirts of town, destroying everything in its path.

"I'm going ghost!" Danny yelled as he ran behind a tree and changed into Danny Phantom, flying to greet the giant yellow monster. The colossal ghost turned its beady eyes on the ghost boy, and lunged at him with its many, thick tentacles. Danny easily dodged each of the flailing, dangerous live wires, and mocked, "Is that all you got?" Then, he shot an ectoplasmic beam from his left hand, which hit the blob-ghost square in the chest and knocked it to the end of Main Street. The ghost roared again, this time in English, "You will pay for defying the mighty Voltron!" Using its many tentacles to pick up parked cars on the wrecked road, it electrified the cars' bodies and started hurling them with extreme speed at Danny.

The ghost boy managed to dodge most of them, but he failed to avoid the last one. Screaming in agony as the car struck him with both immense force and electricity, he fell to the ground, his snow-white hair sticking on end and blackened, his body twitching. "Danny!" both Sam and Tucker yelled, running over to help him. Slowly getting up as they arrived, he said, "Wait! Don't touch me!" just as Tucker's finger get stung from touching Danny's static jumpsuit. Realizing his mistake, Tucker quickly took his hand back and flinched from the pain. Standing up while clutching his arm, while his friends took a step back, Danny said gravely, "There's only one way to defeat this ghost." Then, turning to face the giant Voltron as it was about to grab him in its tentacles, let out his Ghostly Wail, causing the blob-ghost to go flying. Danny then quickly used the Fenton Thermos to capture Voltron, and then turned back human from the wail's effect.

As soon as the mighty ghost disappeared inside the Fenton thermos, the thunderclouds evaporated and once again, it was sunny out. Wiping his brow, Danny sighed, and said, "Wow, that was a tough one." No later had he finished these words, the air near him began to shimmer. Forming a pool of silver light, it formed a figure about the height of a one-story house. Danny and his friends had to cover his ears from unseen pressure, building stronger every second, until a loud _pop_ was heard. The gang stared in amazement as a giant, black dragon materialized out of thin air in front of them. Its entire body was the same as the ghost dragon Danny had fought before, except that it had slightly thinner tail. The dragon also had a black-scaled underbelly. Looking at the three teens, it made a strange laugh that sounded like a gurgle, chuckle, and snarl all rolled into one sound.

"Well done, Danny," came the creature's airy voice from out of nowhere. Danny jumped at the mention of his name. Seeing this, the dragon laughed again, and this time saw his two companions. "And _you_ two must be Sam and Tucker." The two looked up in amazement at the black dragon, and nodded. Strangely, the teens felt no fear- only a calming, peaceful feeling. Danny, looking at the reptile as it bent its head to observe Sam and Tucker, asked, "Who...are you?" Tucker also asked, confused, "How did you know our names?" Turning to face the trio with a solemn expression on its face, the dragon said, "Forgive me. I don't believe I introduced myself," Then, glancing at its form, remarked, "Perhaps a better, more comprehensible form would help."

Then, the dragon turned into silver light again, and started to shrink. The teens this time felt as if the air around them were being sucked out. Then, the liquid light pooled together, another _pop_ was heard, but softer this time, and a man appeared in the same place where the dragon once stood, floating a few feet off the ground.

The man was tall, almost the height of Danny's father, Jack Fenton, yet not quite. He was lean and muscular, had long, black hair tied into a ponytail, with white highlights, and had a black goatee and a Roman nose. He wore a black cape, black boots, and a white vest over a black, long sleeved shirt. It took several seconds for Danny to notice the man's glowing green eyes, sparkling with mischief. Danny stared hard at the man, and asked warily, "How did you do that? Are you a ghost?" The man landed on the ground and responded with an eerily familiar voice. "So many questions, so little _time_," he said mysteriously. Danny stared at him in disbelief, and then stuttered, "Clockwork?"

The man, slightly surprised, replied with a grimace, "Ah. I see you've met my uncle. Unfortunately, I am not he, and my name is Shruikan. I am the master of shadows, and quite an accomplished magician. A dark necromancer, in your human terms." then, glancing at Sam and Tucker, continued, "I've come because of an urgent matter, involving the future. Since you defeated your older self-" he turned his gaze to Danny again- "-a new evil has been born." Danny, confused, asked, "What? That's can't be right. I defeated my evil self, didn't I? So the Ghost Zone and the human world are safe." Shruikan looked at the boy and laughed scornfully. "Wrong. It seems my uncle, all-powerful as he is, miscalculated. You see..." Then, he gently ran his hand over the open air. A green, swirling circle appeared there, then formed an image.

_A young girl, about fourteen years of age, was chained to the wall in what looked like a whitewashed prison cell with no openings, save for ventilation. She had long, unkept, raven-black hair, and stared at the opposite wall with icy blue eyes filled with anger. _

Shruikan frowned, as Danny wondered about this girl. Who was she? She was quite beautiful, and was somewhat similar to him in appearance. Just as Danny was about to look more closely, Shruikan waved his hand over the image, and the prison scene disappeared. "Ah...here we are. Sometimes I get a little off-target," the dark necromancer said. Another image was now there...

_A ghost army was gathering, consisting of horribly mutated animals, skeleton warriors, and strange, vicious beasts. Their numbers were innumerable, and yet still more poured in to their ranks. As the last of them keyed into their combat units, the Fright Knight rode from the sky on his fiery steed to greet them. He bellowed, "Today, we shall destroy those pitiful beings we call humans, and rule in our world and theirs!" The monsters roared in response. Just then, a dark figure flew up behind the Knight. Turning around in surprise, the Knight exclaimed, "My lord! You are here!"_

Just as Sam, Tucker, and Danny were all watching, transfixed, the image disappeared. "What was that? The ghosts massing together?" Sam asked, and Danny said, "_Who_ was that?" Shruikan glared at both of them, then replied, "I cannot say. But we I have wasted too much time already." Turning back into dragon form in a heartbeat, he commanded, "Danny, get on my back." As Danny ran over to the black dragon, though, Sam and Tucker said, "Wait!" Sam shouted, "Where are you taking him?" and Tucker yelled, "How can we trust you?" Shruikan looked with eyes full of compassion at the two teens. "To meet a friend in the future. As for trust, time will tell. One of you two may betray it." And with that, with Danny on his back, Shruikan took off.

"Hold on tight." he told Danny. In response, the boy gripped one of the dragon's neck spikes, and as they ascended, and silvery wormhole appeared in place of the sun. The sheer wind power of the takeoff had forced Sam and Tucker to brace themselves. As Danny glanced back at them, he saw both of their faces filled with concern. On Sam's face, he also saw something in her violet eyes. He couldn't identify it, though her gaze looked longing and passionate. As they headed for the wormhole, they became dots on a field of green, as well as the other people in the city. Suddenly, Danny was hit with unexpected force. He became lightheaded and dizzy, his vision and thoughts blurred, and eventually, he gasped and fainted on Shruikan's back.

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(_P.S_.- So, how did you feel about the first chapter? Please review, and try not to put flames! Also, I may upgrade the rating later for violence, and possibly romance. No, there are no lemons _or_ limes in the story, so don't even ask. If I misspelled Wolfe's name at the beginning, please tell me in your review. Who are the girl and the mysterious lord of the ghost army? Where exactly is Shruikan taking Danny? And who are they going to visit? Find out in the next chapter of _The Shadows of Time_!) 


	2. Raven

(_Author's Note_: Well, howdy, y'all! I've finally put in the second chapter. This one may be a bit short, since I am saving some details for the third and fourth chapter. Also, I'd like to thank my real-life friend, Jess (aka PrincessHayLin), for giving me some ideas for this fanfic and my to-be _Avatar: Last Airbender _one. In case you watch the show, it's might be about me and some friends (including Jess) getting stuck in the Avatar's world, or it may be about a bounty hunter, and her hunted. I am also planning to write a sequel to this story, which may be called _The Spirit Door_. Anyways, read, enjoy, and don't forget to review!)

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_Chapter 2_: Raven

**Amity Park: 16 Years Later**

When Danny woke up, he was still on Shruikan's back. At first, he panicked when he noticed he was up in the air in human form, so his first defense was to go ghost. Then his thoughts from before his fainting came back to him: fighting Voltron, meeting Shruikan, and entering the wormhole. Embarrased, Danny transformed back to his old self. Shruikan, noticing his little scene, laughed in his deep dragon voice, and said, "I see you're finally awake, Danny." Then Shruikan began to descend over a forest. In the distance was the familiar Amity Park, only its buildings were towering and white, there were lanes of flying cars, and the city was about twice its original size. The same park was still there, green as ever, with kids walking their robot dogs or whizzing by on flying scooters. Shruikan said, "Welcome to the future."

Danny stared in amazement at the city before him. He had been to Amity Park in the future before, but his evil self had already mostly destroyed it. Now it lay before them, a sparkling white city with a large glass tower at its center. However, Shruikan turned left, towards the outskirts of Amity, and descended upon a large, mowed field. They were in someone's estate, with a mansion that looked eerily similar to the White House, and rose gardens lining the half-circle road to the mansion. However, it looked empty and foreboding. "Where are we?" the boy asked in amazement. Nudging Danny with his snout, Shruikan said, "We are with a dependable fellow. Our view is blocked and protected by his walls." He directed his snout to the eight-foot-high, solid concrete walls, their tops lined with electric wires.

Danny slid off Shruikan's back, and the black dragon transformed into his ghost form. Landing beside him, Shruikan said, "Follow me." The necromancer then walked up to the mansion's front double doors, and then stopped. Danny followed him, and asked, "Who are we meeting?" Shruikan continued to stare straight ahead as the door opened and played the recording voice, "Welcome. Mr. Foley will be with you in a few moments." Danny was shocked as Shruikan went inside, and he did the same. The mansion's main hall was lined with red carpet, and there was a gushing waterfall and pool at its end. Closed doors, a cathedral-like ceiling, and the doors shutting behind them surrounded them. Just then, a tall, muscular black man came out from a door a few feet away.

The man was tall, thin, and wearing a white tuxedo suit, complete with fancy black shoes and his old orange cap. The man was holding a shiny white PDA in his right hand, and turned to face them. His eyes were closed as he said, "Welcome to Tucker's Machine Makers 9000, how may I-" just then, he opened his eyes, and the PDA he was holding immediately dropped to the floor. The future Tucker's mouth was agape, and he was clearly in shock. Danny was, too, and he asked in surprise, "_Tucker_?"

Tucker asked disbelievingly, "Danny? Is that _you_? I just have to make sure you aren't some hologram-" Just then, Danny ran up to the future Tucker and hugged him. Tucker was surprised again, hugged him back, and said, "So you _aren't_ a hologram- and you're probably from the past- but how could you get here without a Time Medallion?" Shruikan let out an _a-hem_ noise from behind. Tucker noticed him and said faintly, "Oh. It's _you_." Shruikan, walked to face the black man, and said gravely, "Yes, Mr. Foley, it's me. But there's no time for that now. Where is the girl?"

Tucker glanced at Shruikan and Danny with a solemn expression on his face, his look almost one of pity. He said, "Okay, but she doesn't like to be disturbed. The most time she's ever allowed-" Shruikan interrupted, urging, "Take us to her now." So, Tucker began to walk, and the two followed him. They went up the stairs three stories, went past at least five hallways, and even one office with people working on high-tech computers. It seemed like an eternity until they reached a door at the other side of the mansion, and Danny felt his legs were going to drop off at any moment. He had wanted to ask a million questions, but when he opened his mouth, Shruikan had glared at him. The magician then hissed to him, "Don't say anything yet."

The future Tucker proceeded to open the door- the room inside was very dark. It looked like a bedroom, and a slim figure was sitting in the far corner. Its head turned around to face them, revealing icy blue eyes. Shivers ran up Danny's spine as he recognized the girl from the vision. "Why have you come?" she demanded in a cold voice. Tucker turned on the lights, and said, "Sweetie, I'd like you to meet some

guests-" But he stopped, realizing Shruikan had vanished. Danny followed his gaze, thoroughly surprised. _Where did he go?_ the boy thought, bewildered. However, Tucker continued, "Ahem. I mean _a_ guest." The girl looked at Danny, and their eyes met. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as the girl stared at him with almost identical eyes as his own. It was very uncomfortable; Danny felt as if she were looking at his very soul. Tucker said, "Raven, I'd like you to meet a...friend of mine. His name is Danny Fenton." Then, he opened the door and left.

Raven, the girl, nodded, closing her eyes and sighing. Danny took in her features: she had long, uncombed, ebony hair, a weary face, and was wearing a black sweatshirt with a black skirt and boots. She was skinny, and didn't look that athletic. _She looks very familiar_, Danny thought as he studied her. _Almost like someone I know._ Then a question came to his mind. "Are you a Goth?" he asked Raven. The pale skinned girl smiled, her eyes flicking with amusement. She replied sarcastically, "How did you know?" Danny felt much more comfortable around her now, so he went and sat on her bed (a black one, of course) next to her. "So...I guess we haven't had a proper introduction. I'm Danny Fenton," he said, holding out his hand. Raven just stared at his hand, and said, "I'm Raven. Just...Raven." Then she turned around to face her window.

Danny, for some strange reason, felt pity for the girl. _It's like she's hiding something from me_, he thought. Trying not to pry too much, he asked carefully, "Why are you here? I mean...you're not Tucker's- I mean, Mr. Foley's- _daughter_, are you?" Raven, turning around to face him again, said faintly, "No. I'm not really his...daughter." The last word she said sounded funny to Danny. Then, getting a far away look in her eyes, she began, "Mine has been a harsh life. I have no known parents; my true mother abandoned me at two." Danny was sad and a bit shocked. "I'm sorry," he said apologetically. Raven locked his eyes again, giving him an angry stare. "Never say those words again," she whispered, her eyes filling up with tears. A small one trickled down her cheek as she told Danny her tale.

She began, "I have only been with Mr. Foley for two short years. Before that, I was in an orphanage." Then, turning away from Danny again, she continued, "I have no memories of my mother- only that her eyes were quite different from mine, and she once loved me very dearly. But there was always this other kid with her, about my age..." Raven faltered for a moment, and then continued, "I stayed with her until a week after my second birthday- and then she _abandoned_ me at the orphanage." Her words were full of anger and hurt. Danny felt his own eyes brim with tears. "I...grew up at the orphanage, and it was m-my only home. Even there, they treated me like _scum_. I felt like I wanted to die, just to get out of my misery...until Mr. Foley came along."

Raven's depressed mood began to lift, and Danny's with it. She said, a bit proudly, "He came, and took me away from that awful hellhole. Ever since then, he's treated me like a princess- but I rarely see him, and he looks at me funny whenever he comes." Then, pausing for a moment, added, "Like I'm some sort of person from his past or something..." Danny swallowed hard when she said it. He began, "Um...well, about that...you see..." he fumbled, groping for the right words to say. He was about to tell her that he was actually from the past, but suddenly, the window crashed open.

Screaming, Raven ducked and covered her head with her arms. Danny was forced to get down next to her, yelling, as thousands of pieces of sharp glass fell like acid rain. Soon, however, the dangerous downpour stopped, and a menacing, familiar laugh came from behind the two. "Well, well, well...if it isn't young Daniel. It's been a long time since a saw you last...after you _abandoned_ your friends." Raven glared at him, her icy blue eyes suspicious and accusing. The figure continued, "However, I've come for a much _bigger_ prize." the voice said.

Turning around, Danny and Raven saw who it was. It was the same one who had been with the Fright Night in the vision. _No way! It can't be!_ Danny thought, his mind racing. Raven said darkly, "I don't know who you are, but you'll be sorry for that." The figure, laughing again, said sarcastically, "Well, _little girl_, we'll just see about that..."

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(P.S.- Wow, I can't believe I just wrote that. Isn't it obvious whom the mystery figure is? Sorry, you'll have to wait for what happens next, since the next chapter takes place in the present. Anyways, don't forget to review- I sorely need suggestions and comments. So we've met Tucker, but where's Sam? Where has Shruikan gone? And why does Raven seem so familiar to Danny? Find out in the next chapter of _The Shadows of Time_!) 


	3. The Apprentice

(_Author's Note_: Thank you, reviewers, for your kind words and actions! I've been developing this idea since the end of summer, and changed it when I saw "Danny Phantom: the Ultimate Enemy". It was an awesome movie, and it totally surprised me! So, I just had to write a sequel. Hence the title. Anyways, Manitowoc is my grandparents' hometown in Wisconsin, and it is only an hour away from Green Bay. So I incorporated it into my story.)

_Chapter 3_: The Apprentice

**Manitowoc, WI: The Present**

It was a dark night, almost to 12:00. A gentle breeze made the trees nearby sway slightly, and one's leaves brushed a giant sign, its blue pastel words barely visible in the dark. It read, '_Welcome to Manitowoc'_, and under that, it read, '_Happiest place in Wisconsin!_' True to its words, the sleepy little town that lay in the valley below the sign was quiet and dark, but there was a feeling to it that made one feel happy.

To the north of the town, there was a giant mansion made of gray stone, its yellow-and-green banners flapping in the wind. It seemed peaceful, yet unknown to the townspeople, inside its thick stone walls lurked a great evil. The ancient building, with its towering, golden-capped steeples, was once home to the late Dairy King of Wisconsin. However, for the past few years, it had housed the multi-billionaire Vlad Masters. A wealthy, white-haired, handsome tycoon, he mostly spent his time secluded inside the castle-like building.

In reality, he had an enormous secret: he was half-ghost. This was due to an accident involving an experiment of his old, one-time friend, the idiotic Jack Fenton, during college. Ever since then, he had nursed a deep hatred of the simple man, for ruining his future career and for stealing and marrying the love of his life. Anyone who had the rare opportunity to meet him sensed the inevitable dark feeling surrounding the man. This explained why he holed himself up in his domain: he was always practicing his ghost powers and researching new, ghost-related technologies. For a long time, he thought that he was the only half-ghost person in the world. That is, until he met Danny Phantom.

At first, the boy seemed harmless, being the son of his pea-brained, hated college associate...Vlad even offered to take on Danny as his apprentice, if only he would renounce his father...until he cost Vlad some horrible losses. Among these were his mother, Maddie, whom he adored; the Skeleton Key, which allowed access to anywhere in the Ghost Zone; and the Ring of Rage, Pariah Dark's item of ultimate power. Although he did get the Skeleton Key eventually, he used it wrongly to open the Sarcophagus of Eternal Sleep, which contained the evil Ghost King, unleashing his reign of terror on the Ghost Zone and the real world...until Danny locked him up again. Vlad Masters, called Vlad Plasmius in his ghost form, was always scheming at how he would defeat the boy. He had recently re-built his Ghost Portal, and was in his lab in ghost form, studying it intently.

"At last, my portal is complete," he declared. Turning away from it, grinning, he continued, "And with it, the start of Phase One of my master plan." Then, turning back to face the purplish glow of the Ghost Portal, he flew into it, and arrived at his destination, the Ghost Zone. Inside it, he floated around until he came across what looked like a cave. "Ah. This must be his lair." he said to himself, flying into it. It was pitch black inside, until a giant, gleaming green-and-black figure appeared amidst the darkness.

Meanwhile, two glowing, green octopi floated form the ghost zone towards the green vortex that led to Vlad's Ghost Portal. Going into the swirling mass, they came out in the real world, phased through the wall, and flew off towards the town.

It was just past 3 o' clock, and Manitowoc Charter High was just letting out. Hundreds of students flowed out of the white school's double doors by the second, chatting and showing off. Almost all of the teens traveled in groups, but one girl avoided the crowd and slipped away to a nearby sidewalk. The girl, Diana Guernsey, preferred walking home alone and in silence. In fact, she was a shy girl, with almost no friends. However, she was quite skillful at tae kwon do, and to this day had never had a bullying problem.

Di was a tomboy, daring and courageous, never hesitating to wear boys' clothes, play baseball or football, or even taking on a dare to wear boys' underwear. She was about 5"3" and was stick-thin, shorter and thinner than other kids, and had a genius IQ. Di had metallic black hair and indigo eyes, unusual in teens her age, and was wearing a light blue tank top with white Capri's. On her feet were lavender sandals, similar to the kind the ancient Romans wore. Di was clutching her books close to herself, as if she was afraid to lose them. Her hair was flapping like a battered flag in the wind, and her deep blue-black eyes were scanning the sky for rain clouds. Instead, she saw something else.

The twin octopi were now roaming above the town, making strange gurgling noises as people ran away from them, screaming. Both were headed towards Di's house, destroying an occasional mailbox or lamppost along the way. Dropping her book immediately in shock, mouth agape, she stood there for a minute, and then ran after the octopi. Scanning around for something she could use, she spotted a brand-new silver-and-pink machine from the pawn shop. Above the item was a sentence with the word 'ghost' in it (Di just glanced at it), and it looked very strange, almost like a futuristic gun. Running inside, she quickly stammered to the cashier, "Sorry, gotta borrow this," and took it from the front window. Running outside and towards the terrifying duo, she caught up with them on the ground at her house.

Di pointed the gun at the ghosts and yelled, "Hey, you spineless goons, catch this!" and fired. Both ghosts were hit by a pink beam, and they screamed in pain. Retreating back toward Vlad's mansion, they flew over the buildings of Manitowoc. However, Di wasn't finished yet. Running after them, shooting and missing all the while, she screamed, "No one tries to destroy my house!" She continued to pursue them, even when she left the town, ran through a dense forest, and got closer and closer to the mansion. Di was so enraged that nothing would stop her, unless you count the fact that she skidded to a halt in front of Vlad's manor while the ghosts flew in it.

Being as quiet as can be, she silently hid behind a tree, looking for anyone that might stop her. Her mind now buzzed with questions- What were those things? Why did they go into the Dairy King's old house? Seeing no one near the mansion, she crept up to the old castle and opened the door with a creak. The ghosts were inside, and upon hearing the sound, they went through a door and disappeared. Following them, Di opened the door and found a flight of stairs leading to a basement. Crouching down so no one could see her, her ears managed to pick up scraps of speech at the bottom...

"You know, if you join me, we could...together, we'll build the finest...all you have to do is take down young Daniel." one voice said. Di, curious, sneaked closer- and gasped at what she saw. The basement was a laboratory- and two ghosts were in it. One, a tall, black-haired, white-garmented ghost with red eyes, fangs, and a black cape, was the speaker. To his left was a 7-foot-tall, giant werewolf, clad in tattered green rags. The wolf, glaring at the white ghost with suspicious black eyes, flicked his tail and drew up his long-clawed paws. He said something strange that Di couldn't understand, but he did say 'friend' in his sentence.

"You think Daniel is your friend?" the white ghost said with a laugh. The wolf, obviously insulted, shouted at his companion again in his incomprehensible language and raised his arm to slash him. The white ghost, turning intangible as the werewolf ghost slashed him, put his hands in his hips and remarked, "Too bad. I was willing to work with you, but now you leave me no choice but to destroy you." The wolf, blinking his beady eyes in surprise, lunged after the white ghost with a snarl. Before the beast could even reach him, the foreboding, glowing man sent a pinkish ghost ray from his hand, knocking the wolf down.

Then, Di saw the white ghost multiply into two, four, and finally six identical forms. Infuriated, the wolf ghost went on a rampage, slashing at the clones with 6-inch-long claws. Most times, the duplicates avoided him, sending the claws into tables, chairs, walls, prototype ghost machines, and wires. However, a few times the massive shredders caught one of the white ghosts, causing it to disappear. Eventually, Di found herself so close to the fray that it was impossible to leave without being detected. So, carefully opening a closet nearby and hiding in it, peeking out at the fight through the keyhole.

"Honestly, Wolfe, you really can't expect to defeat me this way." commented the powerful white ghost to his outmatched attacker. Snarling at his enemy, Wolfe panted, and then noticed one of two large wires leading to the lab's Ghost Portal. Slashing it in two, Wolfe howled in pain as the force of electricity shocked him. But his simple plan worked; the Ghost Portal's swirling green lights began to flicker on and off. Di, scared and nervous, thought up a plan. Putting on one of the jumpsuits that were stored in the closet, she examined herself quickly in the mirror. Di let out a gasp of surprise as she glanced at the mirror in the closet's rear- her beautiful frame was visible through the jumpsuit's blue background and white gloves and boots. Two white straps crossed her chest; the suit almost matched Di's deep indigo eyes. Turning around, she held her breath as she opened the door-

Vlad, hearing the door open, turned around to face Di as she slowly came out. "Well, well, I think we have a visitor." he said. Flying over to her, Vlad grabbed the shocked girl's wrist before she could utter a word. Wolfe, seizing his chance, slashed at Vlad's unprotected back, sending both human and ghost hurtling in different directions. Di, too shocked to scream, landed right in the middle of the malfunctioning Ghost Portal as it turned from off to on. Screaming in agony as the portal started to transform her DNA, both ghosts turned around to face the portal; Wolfe with a surprised expression, and Vlad with a twisted grin on his face.

The Ghost Portal flickered, and then finally stayed on. Di, gasping for breath, noticed with creeping horror, noticed her skin and muscles turn transparent for a moment, revealing her bones; she stumbled out of the swirling mass, moaning and holding on to the portal's side for support. Flashing her now glowing-green eyes towards her shocked observers, she then looked down at herself and screamed. Her beautiful blue and-white jumpsuit had turned inverted, now having a green background with black boots, gloves, and two black straps across her chest. Her pale skin had turned slightly orange, and groping at her long hair, Di discovered that her original metallic black hair had been bleached to a ghostly, snow white color. As she stumbled from the portal, green mist blowing off of her glowing figure, Wolfe stepped forward. "Friend?" he asked confusedly, for she looked very much like his friend Danny Phantom...

Vlad, knocking Wolfe aside, stepped in front of the newly created, and very first, half-ghost girl. He said in a smooth voice, "Hello there. I don't believe we've introduced ourselves. I'm Vlad Plasmius..." Then, grinning wolfishly, continued, "...your new master."

(_P.S._ - OMG! Exciting cliffy. Please, please, please don't forget to review. Was that exiting or what? You gotta admit that last scene was just plain cool! Anyways, waiting in anticipation for Friday's new episode, and typing like crazy at the same time. What will happen to poor Di, forced to be Vlad's apprentice? How will Wolfe react? And how will this affect Danny, the Fentons and Di's family, the Guernseys, and all of both Manitowoc and Amity Park? Find out in the next chapter of _The Shadows of Time_!)


End file.
